SEPTEMBER 30, 1996

Lamy's big accident

MINARDI driver Pedro Lamy walked uninjured from a very large accident in testing last week at Estoril. The crash tore the Ford engine off the back of the Minardi and testing sessions were delayed for some hours because the guardrails needed to be replaced.

Prior to the crash Lamy had been busy testing the latest Ford Cosworth V8 engine - codenamed the ED3. This is the engine with which Ford hopes to run a customer engine program next year. The ED3 is claimed to have 50 horsepower more than the current unit with better acceleration and a faster top speed. Before the crash - caused by a wheel failure - Lamy had lapped nearly a second faster with the new unit than he was able to do with the old engine.

The car was destroyed, but Minardi had a spare monocoque back at its Faenza base, and this is to be built up in preparation for the Japanese Grand Prix.